Ladies who lunch

There's this Stephen Sondheim song "The Ladies Who Lunch" from the musical Company. Its lyrics rewind in my mind whenever I'm out with my gang of girls (yes, we revert to girlish ways). The girls write, edit, do public relations and overall work with words. Cleo Laine, Carol Burnett, Patti Lupone, even Barbra Streisand have versions of the same song, each worth listening to.

I like to be early for these lunches and watch the girls come in one by one or two by two--usually Angge Goloy comes in second, this time with her Australia-based geologist daughter Yayay (here for her St. Scholastica's College high school silver jubilee, among other reasons).

Then what Angge calls "the advance party" of a "schoolbus" sub-group, Chato Garcellano, my editor for many years, follows with the more leisurely walkers Ester Dipasupil and Corito Llamas a few minutes behind her. Missing was Lynett AdVillariba who had wifely duties.

What I love about our group: the huge smiles, hugs and cheek-to-cheek kisses with which we greet each other before we settle down for a huge lunch and almost simultaneous talking. I like to lean back, listen and watch them make happy talk about life, work, family.

Ladies who lunch transform into "bag" ladies at the stroke of 2 p.m. (from left): Giselle Amanda Goloy, a.k.a. Yayay, Chato Garcellano, Ester Dipasupil with me behind her, Nini Yarte, Corito Llamas, Angge Goloy and Joy Buensalido

We make time to get together at least four times in a year. It seems time is never enough. SOP is lunch, followed by coffee and dessert elsewhere.

This time Angge and Yayay picked out Nikkei Peruvian Resto-Bar at The Podium in Ortigas Center. Portions were conservative but delish. I came out satisfied with my salmon teriyaki--crisp outside, tender in the inside with a sauce a tad sweetish for this diabetic.

Interiors of Nikkei at The Podium. Love the shafts of light on the heads of the customers

Inevitably, there is always someone having a birthday in the group so we each whip out our presents for the young Yayay who swears by improvements in her health because of the Keto diet. I gave her a copy of my book of essays Catholic and Emancipated (published by UST Publishing House in 2011) which her mom says will make good reading as Yayay prepares for her class' 25th anniversary. In turn she gave her titas who lunch a box each of Australian tea leaves.

Yayay and her Tita Babeth lean on each other

Latecomer Nini Yarte's only excuse as she arrived while we were all finished with lunch was: "I was made for dinner!" And she handed to Yayay the quaintest gift of all, a Himalayan lamp, I think.

At Ca Va Cafe where we enjoyed our coffee with bibingka crepe. Clockwise: Babeth, Ester Dipasupil, Nini Yarte, Joy Buensalido, Angge Goloy, Corito Llamas, Chato Garcellano and Giselle Amanda Goloy

Lovely decorative touches within Ca Va-- dried flowers, birdcages and lanterns

The excitement over seeing one another hadn't died down so we moved over to the cafe called Ca Va for cappuccinos for some, lattes for the others and one bibingka crepe for sharing among the eight of us.

When I got home, thanks to the "schoolbus" of Corito, I sighed deeply and thanked the universe for the gift of friendship.

Photos from the cameras of Giselle Amanda Goloy and Joy Buensalido